Did you ever play EA's Knockout Kings? Neither did anyone else, twice. In their efforts to capture boxing greats from history (no Tyson) they forgot to capture the sport of boxing. It had the surface similarities, but lacked the thrill boxing packs. EA, wise about their bottom line, scrapped everything and started over. Whoever made this decision needs to be promoted. But not before overseeing Fight Night 2005. BECAUSE THIS FRANCHISE IS GREAT NOW. So far.

Round 1 -- Interface -- The biggest change Fight Night brings to the scene is "Total Control Punching" which is a paradigm shifting name for "Uses the Analog Sticks". You don't punch with the face buttons, people. You've got two thumbs on two dual shock sticks, and all new blisters. Throw punches with the right stick. Move the stick to one o'clock, that's a right straight. Move it to three o'clock, then around to one, and that's a right hook. Flick the stick halfway for a feint. Press L1 to makes all those punches go to the body instead of the default head. The link between your thumb and your fighter's gloves can only be described as PUNCHTASTICAL. The left stick controls movement around the ring (are you running away, Mary?) until you press L1, planting your feet and now giving the same stick control over your upper body movements to intuitively lean, dodge and duck punches, while simultaneously setting up your counter punches. Different, interesting, intuitive, immersive and fun. What your may not have put together is that button mashing is also gone. There is no accidental punch, other than when an intended hook becomes an uppercut via wild thumbsticking.

Round 2 -- Bling -- Many hip hop songs in the game, the only one I recognize being Making Da Band 2's Puff Daddy. As you build up your career-mode boxer you can add more and more members to your entourage for the grand ring entrance. Finally, BET's "Big Tigger" is the ring announcer and provides many hiphopperisms. As GameSpot notes: "Some will undoubtedly find Big Tigger's hip-hop-styled delivery to be a bit annoying" Some people, aka RACISTS.

Round 3 -- Mike Tyson -- Like Knockout Kings, there is no Mike Tyson. I think this is because the art team never returned from the mission of taking digital picture's of Mike's face. Instead, he raped them until they loved him.

Round 4 -- Ragdoll Physics -- RAGDOLL PHYSICS MUST BE IN EVERY GAME. Name a game. IT WOULD BE BETTER WITH RAGDOLL PHYSICS. Fight Night 2004 realizes that video game boxing is all about the joy of the knockdown. As home players, we don't get the million dollar purses. We don't get to rape the teens in hotel rooms. We are blingless. Our only thrill from boxing is the rush of pounding another simulated human being into the canvas. So, Fight Night gives us great knockdowns. As a boxer's health is low, all sound drops away except for your pounding pulse. Then the last shot lands and the boxer turns into a sack of meat and drops to the floor like so much ragdoll. It ranges from "cool" to "sickening". Then Fight Night reads your mind, and replays the knockdown 5 different times at various speeds and from various cool angles, including the obligatory and TOTALLY AWESOME Matrix bullet time effect.

Round 6 -- Career Mode -- I'm loving my handmade boxer. Like wrestling games and Tony Hawk Underground, you get a disgusting amount of control over how your boxer looks. My boxer, Cobba Corn, is a golden haired 80's adonis. His yellow trunks are emblazened with CORN across the waist, and I laugh everytime I see him try to look serious. I predict this game will be great for friends to play as you each whip up a personalized avatar and take turns beating the crap out of each other. Seeing your last name on those trunks as your player falls, limp, might bring some tears to some eyes.

Round 7 -- EA SPORTS, it's in the game (tm) -- There is no clinching! There is no ref in the ring! If these two things appear in Fight Night 2005 it will be perfect.